Zack Snyder's Justice League

"They said the age of heroes would never come again." "It will... it has to."

- Diana and Bruce Wayne

Zack Snyder's Justice League, often referred to as the "Snyder Cut", is the of the 2017 film ' and the fifth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU''') based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name. The film presents the original and uncompromised vision for the film by director Zack Snyder, with a screenplay with Chris Terrio and story by Snyder, Terrio, and Aquaman screenwriter Will Beall.

Like the theatrical release, Zack Snyder's Justice League is a sequel to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and follows the Justice League — Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and the Flash (Ezra Miller) — as they attempt to save the world from the catastrophic threat of Darkseid (Ray Porter), Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), and their army of Parademons.

The film was released on HBO Max on March 18, 2021. With a run time of approximately four hours, it is the longest DCEU film to date. It is also the third R-rated DCEU film following Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's Ultimate Edition and Birds of Prey.

A grayscale version of Zack Snyder's Justice League was also made available the following week, known as the "Justice is Gray Edition".

The film is thematically separated into six parts: "Don't Count On It, Batman", The Age of Heroes, Beloved Mother, Beloved Son, "Change Machine", All the King's Horses, and "Something Darker". An epilogue follows, titled "A Father Twice Over".

Synopsis
In Zack Snyder's Justice League'', determined to ensure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united; Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash must save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad and Darkseid and their dreadful intentions.''

Plot
Five thousand years ago, Darkseid and his Parademon army attempt to conquer Earth using the three Mother Boxes. They are foiled by a coalition of Old Gods, Amazons, Atlanteans, Humans, and a Green Lantern, leaving behind the Mother Boxes, which are hidden separately. In the present, Superman's death triggers the Boxes' reactivation, attracting Steppenwolf, Darkseid's disgraced lieutenant. Steppenwolf aims to regain Darkseid's favor by gathering the boxes to form the Unity, which would terraform Earth into a copy of Apokolips, their homeworld.

Steppenwolf fights the Amazons on Themyscira and takes the Mother Box guarded by them. Diana Prince receives a warning from the Amazons, then learns about Darkseid's assault on Earth and Steppenwolf, informing Bruce Wayne. The two seek to form a team of metahumans to protect Earth. Having previously failed to recruit Arthur Curry, Bruce locates Barry Allen, while Diana locates Victor Stone. Barry joins while Victor refuses until his father Silas and other S.T.A.R. Labs employees are kidnapped by Parademons seeking the Mother Box the humans hid. Steppenwolf kidnaps and slaughters Atlantean Guards watching over their Mother Box and takes it with only Mera and a reluctant Arthur left to guard it.

The team receive intel from Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon, leading them to Steppenwolf's army in an abandoned underwater facility. Although the team rescues the kidnapped employees, the facility is flooded, trapping them until Arthur helps them escape. Victor retrieves the last Mother Box, which he had hidden. He reveals that it was used to rebuild his body after a car accident, explaining that the Boxes can rearrange matter at the will of their masters. The group realizes that they could use the Box to resurrect Superman, though Steppenwolf will inevitably discover it as a result. Meanwhile, Steppenwolf receives a vision of the Anti-Life Equation, a secret power sought by Darkseid to control all of existence, and he informs his master. The team exhume Superman's body and place it in the amniotic fluid of the genesis chamber in a Kryptonian ship. After Barry activates the Mother Box, an amnesiac Clark Kent is resurrected, attacking the group after Victor's cybernetics target him in self-defense. Before he can kill Bruce, Lois Lane arrives and calms Clark down, and they go to his family home in Smallville, where he regains his memories.

Steppenwolf retrieves the last Mother Box, but not before Silas sacrifices himself to supercharge it with laser heat, allowing Victor to track it. Without Superman, the five heroes travel to an abandoned Russian city, where Steppenwolf aims to form the Unity. They fight their way through the Parademons and Superman arrives and subdues Steppenwolf, but Victor fails to separate the boxes. The Unity is formed, destroying the planet. Barry enters the Speed Force before the shockwave reaches him, reversing time to give Victor the necessary charge that allows him and Superman to separate the Boxes. The team kills Steppenwolf, throwing his body to Darkseid's feet back on Apokolips through a portal. Darkseid vows to return to Earth to complete his quest for the Anti-Life Equation.

After the battle, Bruce, Diana, and Alfred Pennyworth agree to set up a headquarters for the team at Wayne Manor. Barry acquires a job in Central City's police department, Victor is inspired by an audio message left by Silas to use his abilities for good, Arthur goes to see his father, and Clark resumes his life as a reporter and Superman.

In the epilogue, Lex Luthor has escaped from Arkham Asylum and is visited by Slade Wilson, to whom Luthor reveals Batman's secret identity. After waking up from a cryptic dream of the future, Bruce receives a visit from Secretary of Defense Calvin Swanwick, who is revealed to be the Martian Manhunter. He thanks Bruce for assembling the team before promising to be in contact to prepare for Darkseid's return.

Cast

 * Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman
 * Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman
 * Amy Adams as Lois Lane
 * Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
 * Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg
 * Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman
 * Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash
 * Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko
 * Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
 * Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth
 * Diane Lane as Martha Kent
 * Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta
 * J.K. Simmons as James Gordon
 * Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf (voice)
 * Ryan Zheng as Ryan Choi
 * Amber Heard as Mera
 * Joe Morton as Dr. Silas Stone
 * Lisa Loven Kongsli as Menalippe
 * David Thewlis as Ares
 * Ann Ogbomo as Philippus
 * Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir as a Young Icelandic Woman
 * Björt Sigfinnsdóttir as a Young Icelandic Woman
 * Salóme Gunnarsdóttir as a Singing Icelandic Woman
 * Kristbjörg Kjeld as an Old Icelandic Woman
 * Ingvar Sigurdsson as an Icelandic Mayor
 * Védís Vífilsdóttir as an Icelandic Girl
 * Snæfríður Rán Aðalsteins as an Icelandic Girl
 * Marc McClure as Officer Jerry
 * Michael McElhatton as Black Clad Alpha
 * John Dagleish as Black Clad Beta
 * Charlotte Comer as a School Shaperone
 * Lara Decaro as a School Girl
 * Serene Angus as a School Girl
 * Anna Burgess as a School Girl
 * Mia Burgess as a School Girl
 * Alison Chang as a School Girl
 * Constance Bole as School Girl
 * Shahla Ayamah as School Girl
 * Chris Courtenay as Old Bailey Judge
 * Heather Imbeah as Old Bailey Clerk
 * Carla Turner as a School Teacher
 * Grace Cookey-Gam as Old Bailey Lawyer
 * Matthew Bates as Old Bailey Hostage
 * Gary Reimer as Task Force Sniper
 * Robbie Gee as the Task Force Lead
 * Jim Sturgeon as Task Force Deputy
 * Doutzen Kroes as Venelia
 * Eleanor Matsuura as Epione
 * Samantha Win as Euboea
 * Brooke Ence as Penthesilea
 * Anthony Wise as Howard Jensen
 * Jerome Pradon as Louvre Conservationist
 * Richard Clifford as a French Archaeologist
 * Rebecca C. Perfect as News Reporter
 * Vincent Riotta as the CID Chief Detective
 * Edward Mitchell as a CID Officer
 * Mark Arnold as Thomas
 * Martin Troakes as a Welsh Tavern Barkeep
 * Peter Guinness as DeSaad (voice)
 * Sergi Constance as Zeus
 * Aurore Lauzeral as Artemis
 * Julian Lewis Jones as King Atlan
 * Ray Porter as Darkseid (voice)
 * Judi Dench as Granny Goodness
 * Francis Magee as King of Men
 * Hari James as Trigona
 * Kiersey Clemons as Iris West
 * Lucy Briers as a Dog Day Care Owner
 * David Mara as a Produce Truck Driver
 * Wil Coban as a Tortured Atlantean Soldier
 * Stewart Alexander as a College Dean
 * Karen Bryson as Dr. Elinore Stone
 * Christy Meyer as an Emergency Room Doctor
 * Amanda Maud as Linda Reed
 * Granville Saxton as a Homeless Man
 * Gianpiero Cognoli as Central City Prison Guard
 * Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Detective Crispus Allen
 * Kevin Mathurin as a Sketch Witness
 * Joyce Veheary as a Gotham Cop
 * Taylor James as an Atlantean Military Messenger
 * Hadrian Howard as an Atlantean General
 * Victor Gardener as an Atlantean General
 * Bruce Chong as an Atlantean General
 * Orion Lee as a S.T.A.R. Labs Scientist
 * Oliver Gatz as a S.T.A.R. Labs Scientist
 * Rachel Blenkiron as a S.T.A.R. Labs Scientist
 * Lynne Anne Rodgers as S.T.A.R. Labs Cleaning Staff
 * Oliver Powell as S.T.A.R. Labs Cleaning Staff
 * Kelly Burke as Air Force Security
 * Keith Simpson as Air Force Security
 * Omri Rose as a Moonsuit Soldier
 * Harry Lennix as Lieutenant General Calvin Swanwick/Martian Manhunter
 * Will Austin as an MP Guard
 * William Atkinson as Military Police
 * Sam Benjamin as Military Police
 * Shalini Peiris as a Biohazard Suit Soldier
 * Carla Gugino as Ship (voice)
 * Russell Crowe as Jor-El (voice)
 * Adam Forman as a {ickup Truck Driver
 * Peter Brooke as a Defense Department Official
 * Peter Henderson as a Bald Inmate
 * Bruce Lester Johnson as Nelson
 * Katia Elizarova as Lex Luthor's Guard
 * Gem Refoufi as Lex Luthor's Guard
 * Leila Reid as Lex Luthor's Guard
 * Suan-Li Ong as Lex Luthor's Guard
 * Tina Balthazar as Lex Luthor's Guard
 * Penny Lane as Lex Luthor's Guard
 * Jared Leto as the Joker
 * Stephanie Haymes-Roven as an Amazon Cavalry General
 * Steve West as a Mother Box Priest
 * Laura Waddell as a Mother Box Priest
 * Robin Wright as General Antiope (uncredited)
 * Billy Crudup as Henry Allen (uncredited)
 * Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent (voice; uncredited)
 * Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke (uncredited)

Locations

 * Earth
 * United States of America
 * Gotham City, New Jersey
 * Glasshouse
 * Gotham City Cemetery
 * Stone Residence
 * Metropolis, Delaware
 * Lois and Clark's apartment
 * Heroes Park
 * S.T.A.R. Labs
 * Smallville, Kansas
 * Kent Farm
 * Central City, Ohio
 * Barry Allen's Warehouse
 * Iron Heights Penitentiary
 * Atlantis
 * Atlantean Motherbox Stronghold
 * Themyscira
 * Penetralium
 * Crete, Greece
 * Shrine of the Amazons
 * Iceland
 * Russia
 * Pozharnov
 * United Kingdom
 * London, England
 * Old Bailey Courthouse
 * Apokolips
 * Darkseid's Palace

Events

 * Invasion of Earth (flashback)
 * World War II (flashback)
 * Great Darkness (mentioned)
 * Attack on the Penetralium
 * Attack on the Atlantean Mother Box Stronghold
 * Skirmish under Gotham Harbor
 * Attack on S.T.A.R. Labs
 * Battle of Pozharnov
 * Rescue at Stryker's Island
 * War for Earth
 * Knightmare

Items

 * Kryptonian Skinsuits
 * Kryptonite Spear
 * Lasso of Hestia
 * Sword of Athena
 * Bracelets of Submission
 * Batsuit
 * Grapple Gun
 * Mother Box
 * Plasma Rifles
 * Aquaman's Armor
 * Arrow of Artemis
 * Atlanna's Trident
 * Electro Axe
 * Flash Suit
 * Hydro-Pulse Rifles
 * Power Ring
 * Steppenwolf's Mind Probe
 * Trident of Atlan
 * Deathstroke's Armor

Vehicles

 * Apokoliptian Warships
 * Batmobile
 * Flying Fox
 * Knightcrawler
 * Fortress of Solitude''
 * War Machine
 * Fortress of Solitude''
 * War Machine

Sentient Species

 * Kryptonians
 * Amazons
 * Humans
 * Atlanteans
 * Metahumans
 * Martians
 * New Gods
 * Parademons
 * Bolovaxians
 * Old Gods (flashback)

Creatures

 * Dogs

Organizations

 * Justice League
 * Apokoliptian Priests
 * Atlantean Royal Guard
 * Green Lantern Corps
 * Gotham City Police Department
 * Metropolis Police Department
 * Mutants

Production
The 2017 theatrical cut of Justice League had a troubled production history, with its script and photography undergoing major changes before and during production as well as a change in directors, resulting in the release of a version markedly different from what was initially conceived during pre-production and principal photography. Most of the changes were driven by the negative critical reception to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which caused shake-ups at Warner Bros. despite the film's overall commercial success.

Justice League was initially helmed by director Zack Snyder through most of its production, from principal photography to an undetermined amount of post-production. Snyder completed principal photography in October 2016, then stepped down from post-production in May 2017 following a family tragedy, and director Joss Whedon took over as an uncredited director (he had writer credits, however). Whedon oversaw reshoots and other changes that added a brighter tone and more humor to the film, and cut the runtime down to 120 minutes in accordance with a mandate from Warner Bros. executives.

The theatrical release of Justice League was a commercial failure and was met with mixed reception from critics and audiences, leading Warner Bros. to re-evaluate the future of the DC Extended Universe. With details surfacing about the movie's troubled production and the state of the movie before Snyder stepped down, interest was shown for an alternate cut more faithful to Snyder's vision for the movie. Fans of Snyder's works, members of the cast and crew, and other film industry figures began petitioning for the release of this "Snyder Cut", though Warner Bros. stated they had no current plans to release an alternate cut of Justice League. The "Snyder Cut" would finally be announced on May 20, 2020 by Zack Snyder, entitled "Zack Snyder's Justice League" and launching on HBO Max in March 2021.

#ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement
Immediately after the theatrical release of Justice League, fans created an online petition to release the "Snyder Cut" that gained more than 180,000 signatures. The movement, which used the hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut on social media, began before fans had any knowledge that a cut of Snyder's Justice League film actually existed in any capacity. The movement was ignited by the divisive reaction toward the theatrical cut, knowing that Snyder left directorial duties and the final cut of the film in the hands of Joss Whedon, and the assumption that Whedon created an inferior film. The circumstances have been compared to a similar situation with the film  (1980). The productions of both Justice League and Superman II experienced the replacement of the director, for different reasons, before completion of the film, which led to a second director coming in and making substantial changes to the tone. Although the reasoning behind each Snyder and Donner's departure from their respective films differs, Donner was able to complete his Superman II cut in 2006. Some assumed that an alternate cut of Justice League was inevitable because historically several of Snyder's films have been re-released as extended cuts for home media (, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) often seen by critics as superior to the original version. Several members of the Justice League cast and crew showed support for the "Snyder Cut"'s release, including actors Ben Affleck, Ray Fisher, Gal Gadot, Ciarán Hinds, Joe Manganiello and Jason Momoa, as well as photographer Clay Enos, storyboard artist Jay Oliva, cinematographer Fabian Wagner, and Ben Affleck's stunt double Richard Cetrone. Other film and comic-book-industry figures not related to Justice League have also supported the release of a "Snyder Cut" including filmmaker, television producers and , and comic book writers , , and. People involved in former DCEU movies such as Christina Wren also supported the release of the cut. The hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderCut was relayed over 800,000 times on Twitter on November 17, 2019, making it to the top trends worldwide on the second anniversary of the theatrical release of Justice League. #RestoreTheSnyderVerse, the continuation of the movement post the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League, eventually peaked with a trend of 1.42 million, which is the largest tweet count among all comic book-based Twitter trends.

Other figures were less optimistic that the "Snyder Cut" would ever be released. Shawn Robbins, chief analyst for Boxoffice.com suggested the size of the movement was too small to make an impact, stating, "another cut of Justice League just doesn't seem to be something many outside the die-hard fan base are clamoring to see." Clay Enos, who supports the release, also pointed out several logistical complications as hurdles impacting a possible release, including how royalty payments would be handled with two different versions of the same film. Citing industry sources, writer Mario F. Robles said Warner Bros. didn't trust Snyder's vision and wouldn't be willing to spend the millions of dollars it would cost to finish his cut. Brooks Barnes, Hollywood reporter for  theorized that the "Snyder Cut" would never be released due to a mix of the high cost to finish the project and corporate ego. He elaborated: "The ego kind of comes in where, like, no studio will ever put itself in a position of looking like they made the wrong decision. Let's just say it was finished, they put it out, everyone loves it, 'Oh my God, this should have been the movie.' That puts jobs at risk at the high level. Right? And so right there, it's not happening." Writing for Forbes, Scott Mendelson suggested it would be more likely for audiences to see either an animated or comic-book adaptation of Snyder's script than a polished, full-length feature film being finished and released. Box-office analyst from Exhibitor Relations didn't believe Snyder's version of the film would have fared much differently from the theatrical release, stating, "His Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a train wreck of a film, and that was all on him. So, with that as a barometer, I don't have much faith that there was anything inherent to his vision that would have pushed this past $1 billion."

Members of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement engaged in acts of activism to promote their cause. Assuming that corporate leadership was what was preventing the release of a "Snyder Cut", fans directly reached out to new figures related to Warner Bros. to demand its release. In June 2018, fans reached out to executives at AT&T following a merger between the company and Warner Bros.' parent company Time Warner (now WarnerMedia); in June 2019 they reached out to new WarnerMedia CEO, who replaced following his resignation, and again the following month with a mass letter-writing campaign; and in July 2019 they reached out to WarnerMedia following the announcement of its new streaming service HBO Max. Ahead of the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, a fan launched a crowdfunding campaign with half of the funds going toward an advertising campaign including billboards and a flying banner ad promoting the "Snyder Cut", and the other half would be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. For a similar campaign at 2019 New York Comic Con, the movement purchased ad space on two billboards over Times Square featuring quotes from members of the cast and crew.

Some accused large elements within the movement, or the movement at large, of taking their activism beyond promotion, into areas of toxic behaviors including and harassment. Yohana Desta of ' described the act of fans demanding an alternative cut as an example of toxic fandom, placing it in the same vein as the alleged 2017 harassment of ' actress. Brandon Katz of  noted that the movement is composed of, "both toxic DC fans that hurl vitriolic harassment at any and all opposition, and supportive moviegoers that genuinely enjoy Snyder's style and are just hoping to see the conclusion of his trilogy that began with 2013's Man of Steel. As with any contingent, there are both extremists and level-headed individuals in its ranks." In September 2018, former DC Entertainment president deleted her Twitter account as a result of excessive online harassment from some members of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement. Warner telephone operators inundated with regular calls about the "Snyder Cut" had been trained to treat these inquiries as. Bob Rehak, Associate Professor and Chair of Film and Media Studies, said fandoms including #ReleaseTheSnyderCut revolt when someone makes a modification to something they love that doesn't align with their preference for what it should be. He said instances toxic fandom usually occur within a smaller subsection of a larger fandom who believe they are greater in number than they really are and whose voice often dominates the mainstream conversation, elaborating that, "When people learn these kinds of weaponized ways of discoursing at each other, and once those tactics get into play, it doesn't really matter how much of the community they speak for. It tends to kind of paint the whole community with a really broad brush."

In March 2019, Snyder confirmed after 16 months of speculation that his original cut did exist, and stated it was up to Warner Bros. to finish and release it. In November, an insider in a Variety article claimed it was unlikely that Warner Bros. would ever release Snyder's version of the film in any form, calling it a "pipe dream." The following month however, Snyder posted a video on his Vero account, showing boxes with tapes labeled "Z.S. JL Director's cut", with the caption "Is it real? Does it exist? Of course it does."

Zack Snyder's Justice League production
Discussions with Warner Bros. surrounding the potential release of Snyder's cut of Justice League began in late 2019, and lasted for a few months. The studio first approached Snyder to release his cut unfinished, but Snyder objected to this and insisted on either finishing it or not completing it. According to Deborah Snyder, it took several months before the studio would recognize Snyder's intent to give the fans what they desired. WarnerMedia decided to move forward with the Snyder Cut in February 2020, after chairman Toby Emmerich acknowledged the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement and reached out to Snyder.

The Snyders invited executives from W.B., HBO Max and DC to their home to view the Snyder Cut. Snyder presented ideas such as potentially releasing the cut in an episodic format as well as a film. The executives were impressed, and decided to let the project proceed. In a group table setting, WarnerMedia CEO, DC Films president Walter Hamada, WarnerMedia chairman Robert Greenblatt, HBO Max content chief , and HBO Max original programming head Sarah Aubrey all had a discussion with Snyder, before officially greenlighting Zack Snyder's Justice League into production. Soon after, Snyder began to reassemble the film's original post-production team in order to finish the cut. Snyder notified the original cast of Justice League of his plans to release the Snyder Cut between April and May 2020, and according to Snyder, Cyborg actor Ray Fisher initially thought he was joking. In May 2020, following a virtual screening of Man of Steel and years of speculation, Snyder and Henry Cavill confirmed that the Snyder Cut would be released in 2021 on HBO Max, entitled Zack Snyder's Justice League.

It was initially unclear what format Zack Snyder's Justice League would take for its release, whether it would be a four-episode miniseries or one four-hour long film. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Zack Snyder's Justice League would be expected to cost $20–30 million to complete, however Robert Greenblatt indicated to finish and release the film would be "wildly expensive" and cost more than the reported maximum of $30 million. Sandra Dewey, president of productions and business operations for WarnerMedia, stated in an interview that they were aiming for an "early to mid-2021" release.

Initial reports indicated there would be no new material filmed for Zack Snyder's Justice League, as Snyder hadn't been given permission by WarnerMedia to do so. However, on September 23, 2020, it was revealed Snyder was preparing to shoot additional footage in October. Affleck, Cavill, and Fisher reprised their roles for the shoot. With the cost of the additional footage shot, the budget was estimated to have increased to around $70 million. The additional shoots began by October 6. Later that month, Heard, Leto, and Manganiello joined the cast to reprise their roles as Mera, the Joker, and Deathstroke, respectively. Leto's return as Joker was noteworthy, as the character had not been seen since 2016's Suicide Squad and was not present in the original theatrical release of Justice League. Snyder also directed an additional scene with Flash actor Ezra Miller over Zoom, while he was in London for the shoot of the third Fantastic Beasts film set to release in 2022. In January 2021, Snyder confirmed his work on the cut is now complete.

Music
Tom Holkenborg composed for the film. He had previously completed an entire score for Justice League, but was replaced by Danny Elfman after Joss Whedon's arrival.

The first track from the score, "The Crew at Warpower", was released on February 17, 2021. A second track released on March 4th, 2021 named "Middle Mass".

The full score, Zack Snyder's Justice League (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), was officially revealed on March 5th, 2021.